With another St. Patrick’s day fast approaching it seems a good time to pull out the TEMPEST collection to get a bit of Rock with our traditional and seasonal Celtic flavorings.

As it happens Leif Sorbye and friends have a disc of all new music out and a damned fine one at that.

What is most obvious upon first listen is that Sorbye is feeling a bit more electric these days than in the past.

This could have killed the “traditional” feel of what Sorbye does but in this case it has enhanced it beautifully.

“Captain Ward” has familiar thematic qualities, (see “Montara Bay” or “Captain Morgan” from previous releases for reference), but on this occasion there is a kind of bluntness that makes for a much more craggy listening experience and that is what you want when Pirates are the subject.

“Two Sisters” is infinitely danceable as is “Wicked Spring” each of which is worthy of its own jig at each successive listen.

“Battle Mountain Breakdown” is an instrumental track that personifies the premise of the record, harder, faster, electric –folk.

“Royal Oak” is a guitar/fiddle duel that could easily be the soundtrack to any swashbuckling epic you care to name, kind of a Gaelic “Dueling Banjo’s”.

For this time or any other you simply can do no better than TEMPEST for progressive Celtic/Gaelic-Folk-Rock, which is as much an earful as it is a mouthful!

Not only for those who wear the green either!

The CD is released by Magna Carta.

Magna Carta. 208 E. 51st St. #1820 New York, New York 10022
For more information visit the Magna Carta Website : http://www.magnacarta.net

Review By David Lee
DAVID LEE WILSON
IAN SCOTT ENTERTAINMENT
69080 N. FOREST
RICHMOND, MI USA 48062
810-727-4897